Petition to Reconsider and Reduce the Scale of the 700 Irwin Street Project

We, the undersigned residents, neighbors, and community members, urge the City of San Rafael and relevant state decision-makers to reconsider the currently approved development at 700 Irwin Street and reduce its overall scale.

We support the need for additional housing in San Rafael. Our concern is not with housing itself, but with whether this particular project, as currently approved, is appropriately scaled for this location and whether important public-safety, circulation, and site-related issues have been adequately addressed.

Many community members remain concerned about the project’s location near the Highway 101 northbound off-ramp and the potential for additional traffic, deliveries, and loading activity to worsen congestion at an already constrained gateway into the city. Residents are also concerned about possible effects on 2nd Street, which serves as an important corridor for East San Rafael and plays an important role in emergency access and circulation.

In addition, the site’s history and environmental setting warrant careful review. Public records indicate the site was formerly used as a gas station and appears on the Cortese List. Regional Water Quality Control Board materials also identify site conditions that, in our view, merit close evaluation before residential development proceeds at this scale.

Residents have also expressed concern that a project of this magnitude called for a higher level of transparency, responsiveness, and community engagement throughout the approval process.

We believe San Rafael can and should pursue housing solutions that are thoughtful, safe, and compatible with their surroundings. We therefore respectfully ask that the 700 Irwin Street project be scaled back substantially, including reductions in height and overall unit count, so that it better fits the site, addresses public-safety and circulation concerns, and rebuilds public confidence in the planning process.

By signing this petition, we ask our local and state leaders to support a more appropriately scaled project at 700 Irwin Street.

We respectfully request that decision-makers:

1) Reconsider the currently approved scale of the 700 Irwin Street project.
2) Support substantial reductions in height and overall unit count.
3)Require careful review of traffic, emergency-access, and site-related environmental considerations before any further advancement of the project at its current scale.